


Pokemon Special: Killing School Life of Hope and Despair

by Vex_ation



Category: Pocket Monsters SPECIAL | Pokemon Adventures
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2019-09-27 07:38:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17157950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vex_ation/pseuds/Vex_ation
Summary: At Hope’s Peak Academy, students can enjoy all the luxuries of an elite private institution, surrounded by their fellow Ultimates. But under the rule of the new sadistic headmaster Monokuma, the students get the chance to enjoy the school together with no time limit... and the only way to leave is to send someone else home in a body bag.-Danganronpa AU featuring characters from Pokemon Special-





	1. Prologue: The Start of a Killing School Life: Welcome to Despair High School!!

Hope’s Peak Academy. An architectural behemoth resting along a field of green in the middle of urban Japan, it seemed so foreign among the sprawling concrete that surrounded it. Within its walls: the world’s elite; the most talented high schoolers to ever walk the earth.   
For Japan, it was a beacon of hope. As office workers ticked away at computer screens, Hope’s Peak stood tall outside, serving as a constant reminder that the younger generation would be something extraordinary and progress would not stop.   
For me, it was high school.  
The clock tower of Hope’s Peak was nothing more than a clocktower. Its gates were nothing more than gates.   
If Hope’s Peak cultivated the future, then I was that future.   
I wasn’t so sure I wanted to be.  
Of course, when I was scouted and invited to attend, I didn’t turn it down. I couldn’t. You don’t just say “no” to Hope’s Peak Academy. Well, you probably could, but no one ever had, and I didn’t want to be the one to try it.  
That’s why, when I first stepped foot into campus, I wasn’t as excited as I should have been. This, I was sure, would be like any other high school. There would be nerds, jocks, bullies, and all the riff raff you’d find anywhere else.   
The butterflies in my stomach fluttered weakly. I was alone this morning, my parents already have waved me goodbye when I left the house. It was just me and Hope’s Peak Academy. As I walked down the path to the front entrance, it occurred to me that I couldn’t hear the surrounding city. Even the trademark pigeons were mysteriously absent, as if they too were afraid to tread on this sacred ground. Perhaps the birds felt too ashamed to sing. My throat suddenly felt dry.  
The doors towered over me, an open maw waiting to devour me.   
Since when was my heart pounding?  
Since when was my breath so labored?   
I felt my forehead; my clammy hand met skin slick with sweat. I wasn’t sure what it was that I was feeling, but it was awful. The roar of traffic beyond was gone. The blue of the sky was gone. Everything was gone except Hope’s Peak.  
The clock tower above mocked me. It’s hands, huge and magnificent, stood frozen against the white face.   
I could see every detail now. The craftsmen-ship was incredible. Metal spires, so ornate in their creation, seemed to glow when juxtaposed with the brilliant white. The contrast was dizzying, but captivating. It filled my field of vision, expanding in my sight until it took up all I could see.   
There was nothing but the clock. There was nothing but black and white. There was nothing here but time.  
The hands of the clock ceased to move. They stood frozen, still for only a moment. I could see it all; it was speeding towards me, closer, closer, always closer.   
I wanted to reach out, but the last thing I remember was the pavement rushing up to meet me.  
And then  
Nothing.  
————————————————————————————————————————————  
Everything was fuzzy.   
Bright lights teased my eyes open, making everything waver in and out of view.   
The cotton in my brain dissipated like smoke as feeling made it way back into my fingertips. I clenched my fists to test them and yawned, unsticking my face from the desk I had been asleep on.   
The haziness slowly faded away and the rest of the room came into focus. Desks. Chairs. A blackboard. I was in a classroom somewhere. Somewhere was the issue. I remembered the clock. Was this...  
Hope’s Peak Academy?   
I quickly rubbed my drool off the desk and pushed myself to my feet. My muscles ached with relief after being cramped for, well, who knows how long? I tried looking for a clock on the wall for a sense of the time. There was none. Now, if I was interrupting classes, it wasn’t my fault anymore.   
As I stepped out into the hallway, I was met with about three other people who were doing the exact same thing: each of us were in separate classrooms, all poking our heads out the door and looking about in confusion. I was the first to walk out, waving at the people in the rooms down the hall as I stepped out into the open. Slowly, the others followed suit.  
To the room on my left was a stiff girl with brilliant blue hair and a flustered, reddened face. I recognized her from an internet forum I had visited a few days ago. I wanted to know what I was up against in a school like this, so I found some names…. this had to be Crystal, the Ultimate Nursery Care Aide. Apparently, she was great with kids of all kinds and helped out at an orphanage for most of her life, but she was also a little uptight. That was obvious.   
She bowed slightly, then stuck out a hand rather forcefully, the blush creeping up her cheeks and spreading all the way to her ears.  
“Crystal Iotaka. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said, waiting for me to take her hand. I shook it, introducing myself in turn.  
“Nice to meet you too! I’m Red. Did you just wake up in a classroom?”   
If Crystal was stiff before, she was downright robotic now. Her hand tensed in my grip, crushing my fingers just a little bit. Ow. I peeled myself away as Crystal stared at me in horror.   
“I don’t.... how is that possible?? I wouldn’t fall asleep in class.”  
“Happened to me too,” said a third honeyed voice. Walking up to us was a chubby kid in a beret, his eyes soft and his expression lax. I wasn’t too familiar with this kid, but judging by the powdered sugar on his jacket and the sweet scent that radiated from his whole outfit… he was probably the Ultimate Baker.   
“I am Diamond, a exchange student from China. I woke up in a classroom alone, too. First I thought I fall asleep, as I do often, but it seems.... it is not just me.”   
Diamond’s words were slow but deliberate, and I could tell he was picking each of them carefully.   
“Should we find the others?” he asked.   
“If you both woke up in classrooms, there might be something happening,” Crystal added. I noticed she didn’t include herself in the list of troublemakers.   
As if on cue, the loudspeakers mounted in the ceiling crackled to life.   
“No need for that!” it wailed. Crystal stood at full attention, transfixed on the monitor, while I couldn’t help but flinch. “All students, please report to the gym for an announcement!”  
The whole of us shuffled nervously into the gym. How we even found it was beyond me; I don’t remember anyone ever saying where it was. It almost felt like muscle memory, which was weird, because I was positive I had never been here before. Nevertheless, I ended up in the gym, surrounded by, to my surprise, even more confused students. A blond boy was running about, asking questions to anyone who dared make eye contact; two kids who looked like idols were chatting animatedly in the corner, and a few others looked around suspiciously at the scene around them. I could count ten, twelve, almost fifteen people including myself.   
The thought was relaxing, in all honesty. There were plenty of people here who appeared to be in the same predicament, and judging by their clothes, they all looked like Ultimates too. It was looking more and more like some kind of strange initiation by the minute.   
Maybe this high school would be something special after all!  
The blond boy noticed us and pounced. “Did you all wake up in a classroom?” he asked, and I could barely follow his voice at the speed he was speaking.  
“Yes,” Diamond and I said.“No!!” Crystal said a little too loudly, drowning us both out.  
“O- oh um…. Anyway, I’m Pearl Yakovich and we’re all trying to figure out what’s going on. You should uhh you should come here.” Without waiting for an answer, he scuttled away.  
I had to wonder. Does he even breathe?  
Still, Diamond started off behind him, and so Crystal and I reluctantly followed. I remember Pearl from the internet forum, he’s the Ultimate Clairvoyant. I start to think the Ultimate Speed Walker would also be appropriate.  
I followed Diamond and Pearl (now isn’t that a combo) to the middle of the gym, where Pearl had amassed enough to form a small crowd. They were already talking about something by the time we got there.  
“So it really was everyone, yeah?”  
“That does seem to be the case.”  
Everyone seemed to notice our arrival and paused. A petite, regal girl snapped her fingers and points in my direction. “Red Kataoka, Ultimate Motivational Speaker,” she said. I nodded, slightly nervous. She smiled, then continued.   
“It is a pleasure. My name is Platinum Berlitz, but you may call me Platina. How much do you know of our predicament? Must I repeat myself again?”  
I shrugged, trying not to let her know how scary she seemed. I really didn’t want to cross her.  
“I just know about the collective fainting. Is there something else?” Diamond cut me off. “There’s, also the steel plates. They’re everywhere, where I think are, the windows, and doors.”  
“So we were kidnapped,” someone said matter-of-factly.  
“Wait WHAT? No no— is that why my cellphone is missing?” Pearl blubbered, his hands balled up and quavering.  
We all patted our pockets. Empty. Everyone was upset and nervous, so my mouth started to work on its own.  
“I wouldn’t say that,” I couldn’t help but blurt out.   
“Y- Yeah!!” squeaked a small kid in a straw hat. “Maybe it’s like… an exercise in friendship?? Like a game… or… something…”  
“I think uhh—“  
“It’s Yellow.”  
“—Yellow is right. This is Hope’s Peak Academy, this is just how they do things here.”  
Just as our nerves begin to settle, mystery and anxiety come back roaring with glee.  
“Mic check! Mic check!!” someone squeaked. It was the same obnoxious noise that had been blaring out the loudspeakers earlier that makes me grit my teeth. Everyone else turned to the front of the gym, trying to find the source. There was a stage with a podium, but no one behind it. Instead, the formless voice echoed around the gym. It was being amplified, but from where?  
As one of my classmates, a blonde, ferret-faced kid standing at around 4 feet, tried to investigate the stage, someone— no, something— sprang from beneath the floor and landed atop the podium with a flourish. It’s… It’s… I didn’t know what it was.  
Half pink, with stubby limbs and floppy ears…. half purple, with a jagged smile and a glowing red eye… cute wings, a waving shadow, and a two-toned face. Half Clefairy, Half Gengar.  
Still didn’t make any sense.  
“Time to roll in the welcome wagon, students!!” the thing announced. Crystal blinked, and Yellow hid their face in fright. “Not literally, of course; I don’t even know what that means literally! Ahahah! Anyway, I would like to introduce myself: my name is Monokuma, and I’m the headmaster of this glorious institution!! In other words, I’m your principal!”  
Crystal straightened up immediately, giving a slight bow of respect. I could feel how tense she was beside me, but I was just confused.  
“What’dya mean our headmaster?!” shouted someone in the back. The sea of students parted as a bullish, muscular girl stomped towards Monokuma.   
“Is this ‘yer idea of a joke?? I’ve seen Pokemon before, and I know for a fact that you ain’t real,” she growled.  
“Now now!!” chided Monokuma, “is that any way to treat your headmaster? Ms. Birch, I’ve heard you’re a bit of a wild child, but this is absolutely barbaric!! Learn some manners, will you?”  
I finally put the name to the face: Sapphire Birch, Ultimate Naturalist. The girl was frozen to the spot, her clawed hand hanging outstretched. Somebody behind her gently brushed her arm, coaxing it down to her side.  
“Sapphire darling, please don’t provoke… whatever exactly that is.” It was the idol I saw before. Once he was closer, I recognized his white hat and glowing makeup. It was Ruby Brooks, the Ultimate Designer. He seemed revolted, either by Sapphire’s outburst or Monokuma, likely both. He scooted closer to Lisia-- that was the other idol I remember from earlier-- watching the two of them with suspicion.   
Monokuma took it in stride. “As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, I welcome you all to Hope’s Peak Academy. We’ll be spending a looot of time together!!”  
“Are you behind the iron plates and all that crap?” someone asked. He was ignored.   
“I know what you all must be thinking: why are there iron plates over all the windows? Who in the world could have done such a thing? What does this mean! My answer is: stop asking questions and let me talk, you ungrateful little bastards! I, Monokuma, want you all to enjoy Hope’s Peak to its fullest. That’s why I locked you all in here!”  
The room erupted into chaos. Everyone tried to shout over each other, muttered to themselves, or looked around for some kind of confirmation. I was in the latter group, my eyes scanning the room as I stared at classmates that seem to be more and more horrified the longer I looked.  
“For how long?”  
“Well, you're all geniuses overflowing with talent, and I want to preserve that for as long as I can!! So for now you’ll be saying here… For the rest of your natural lives!”  
Someone screamed. Yellow burst into tears. Sapphire rolled up her sleeves.  
“Don’t worry those pretty little heads of yours! They’ll be plenty of food and all that other fun stuff; we’ve got lots of budget.”  
I bit my lip. A lack of supplies was honestly the least of my concerns right now…  
It was Crystal’s turn to shout.  
“T- This is surely a joke?”  
“Ms. Iotaka, I’m surprised with you!! Like you, I am most certainly not a liar, and I take pride in that! If I was joking, would I have put steel plates to keep you locked in here? Would I steal your cellphones and belongings? No ma’am!”  
Crystal was very pale, standing frozen in place like a statue, only stiffer.  
“It’ll be a beautiful life with each other— and since you can’t contact the outside world, you won’t need to worry about any of the troubles of that hellhole you call reality! Isn’t that just peachy?”  
Platina looked unbothered by the whole ordeal. “I don’t know who you think you are,” she said, “but the police are sure to arrive soon and I hope whoever is making you tick… perhaps I shouldn’t say such words in public.”  
Monokuma only laughed. “Sorry Richie Rich, but they’re not coming!! I won’t tell you why, but no one is coming back for you, and I assure you that no one can hear you scream.” My stomach felt like lead, so like Crystal, I just stood there stiffly.  
“So… let me get this straight. You locked us in here, for forever, with no way to get out?” I asked.  
“You’re half right,” Monokuma explained as he leapt to the floor. “There is one way to get out of here, and that’s to graduate! All you’ve gotta do is a little good ‘ol fashioned murder! Stabbing, Bludgeoning, Poisoning, Suffocating, Drowning, it doesn’t matter! If you help someone kick the bucket and don’t get caught, it’s adieu for you!! You can wish your classmates a happy life and enjoy the outside world!”  
What.  
What.  
WHAT?  
A violent chill ran its course through my entire body. It took everything I had not to sink to my knees and howl with anguish.  
Someone in the back exploded in rage.  
“This is bullshit! You can’t keep us locked in here like animals! I’m gonna tear your two-toned ass into a million pieces, you wackjob!” It was the ferret-faced kid from earlier: Emerald Nyagarde, Ultimate Sharpshooter. His accuracy (and mischievous stunts) at tournaments had made him both famous and infamous, and now, watching him scream a whole laundry list of expletives at Monokuma, I could see why.   
Monokuma leapt down to the floor, sauntering over to Emerald and planting its paws on its hips.   
“Now now Mr. Nyagarde! Such language is not appropriate for a school environment. If I catch you saying such things ag-”  
Monokuma was cut off by a wordless roar that echoed off the walls like thunder. Sapphire shot towards the front of the gym like a rocket, murder in her eyes. She grabbed Monokuma’s neck in one hand, lifting the Pokemon off its feet and holding it at arm’s length.  
“Kya!” Monokuma wailed. “Violence against the headmaster is strictly prohibited!!”  
“My ass it is!! When I’m done with you ya won’t know which end is yer head and which is yer tail!!”  
Monokuma yelped and went limp in Sapphire’s grip. His single red eye began to blink, and Sapphire suddenly looked apprehensive as Monokuma began to beep.  
“Uh… guys??”  
There was a moment of shared silence.  
Suddenly, someone shouted.  
“Toss it!! Toss it!!”  
Before Sapphire could even think to react, there was a flash and Crystal was beside her, shoving her aside and punting Monokuma into the air. Watching someone as stiff and rule-abiding as Crystal Iotaka, Ultimate Nursery Aide, whipping forward a muscular leg and punting Monokuma like a football was… quite a sight. Her face was contorted with rage, and her leg was so extended in her violent outburst that I could see all the way up to her athletic shorts. I wanted to look away, but the sight of her, letting out a war cry and lashing out like that… it was so badass.  
Monokuma sailed through the air, arcing towards the ceiling from the force of Crystal’s kick. The beeping grew more frequent, until finally I could do nothing but stare in awe as Monokuma’s plushy body exploded with a massive bang. My ears buzzed painfully and my throat was choked with ashes. I had seen explosions all the time in movies, but this? What the hell??  
“This isn’t… did that thing just explode?” Emerald gasped.  
“At least that nightmarish doll is gone,” Yellow whispered, sounding on the verge of tears.  
“Not doll, Monokuma!!!” announced a voice. Within a moment, Monokuma hopped from somewhere beneath the stage, landing squarely atop the podium as he did before.  
“Aw shit,” I heard someone say.  
“Now now Mrs. Birch, that wasn’t very nice of you. I let you off with a warning this time, but next time you really ought to be more careful!”  
Sapphire looked as though she’d seen a ghost.  
“If anyone else feels the need to break the rules, you too can expect to receive some serious bodily injury! We can’t have anyone running around and breaking the rules, now can we?”  
“Mr. Monokuma, how… how many of you are there?”  
“Not to worry Ms. Iotaka, there are scores of me being manufactured in this very school!! Plus, I’ve got a lot of security cameras to keep an eye on you little brats! That way, if you break one of the school’s rules…. well y’know! Anyway, to keep track of all the rules and your fellow classmates, all of you have been issued a student ID card. It’s waterproof, crushproof, heat-proof, everything proof! You can’t destroy it, and you must keep it on your person at all times so that we can always identify you— and your corpse, if that’s what it takes… Now then, this opening ceremony is officially over. Welcome to your quiet, gruesome, brand spanking new school life, and most importantly: have fun! Bye bye!”  
Monokuma waved its paws and disappeared, leaving us standing there in blank amazement.  
Eventually, someone spoke up. Explosive bangs, clutching a billiards cue for dear life… yeah, I knew this kid. Gold Aurum, Ultimate Gambler.  
“I think I speak for everyone, yeah, when I say: What the fuck just happened?!”  
“Everyone, please just calm down,” I said. I could feel everyone around me relax. “There’s no need to panic, we just have to stay positive and go back over what we know. We could all live together at this school, with everything taken care of, with no time limit. We could live a communal, peaceful life, but we have to stay here.”  
“Yeah,” Emerald snapped, “or one of us could get all trigger happy and kill somebody to escape.”  
“K- kill?” Ruby parroted. He had been repeating the word on loop for the past few minutes, but at Emerald’s words his voice grew louder and more frantic.  
“It… it has to be a lie, right?” Crystal asked. I went to reassure her, but someone I couldn’t recognize spoke up instead. It was a redheaded gir-… bo-…… kid, who looked like nothing more than anger and darkness wrapped in a black fleece.  
“It doesn’t matter if it’s a lie or not. All that matters is that someone hears believes it to be true.”  
Damn him for ruining my motivational speech. I could see the anxiety spike among my classmates, and we looked around hesitantly. As I would admit, even I made fearful glances at my peers’ faces, trying to decide if I trusted them.  
The hostility was palpable. If I stuck out my hand, I was sure it would stick to my fingers like glue. The terror had truly begun to sink in. No motivational speech, even the ultimate motivational speech, could quash the nagging feeling in the darkest recesses of my brain.  
“Which one of them?” it whispered. This demon of paranoia planted these thoughts somewhere, and no matter how hard I tried, I could not shake them.  
I felt sick. This wasn’t Hope’s Peak Academy, it couldn’t be. My high school experience was going to be nothing like I imagined… it wouldn’t be filled with friendships, or classes, or hope.  
This was the High School of Despair.

PROLOGUE: END

STUDENTS REMAINING: 15

To be Continued


	2. Act I Chapter I: Corocoro Despair Fan Magazine!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It only took me... 7 months to get this next chapter out! Thank you all for waiting so patiently, and I hope you enjoy. Let's just cross our fingers and hope this next chapter won't take as long to write!  
> (PS: the prologue has been edited and updated)

A piercing scream shot through the gym.  
Ruby clutched at his hat and sank to his knees, paranoia and fear taking over his expression. Crimson eyes stretched wide, he could do nothing but shriek and look around at us as though we were a bunch of killers.  
“H- hey,” I tried to say, but was cut off as Ruby tore out of the gym like a hurricane. All I could hear was the squeaking of his sneakers on the floor as he sprinted away.  
“R- Ruby, wait!!” shouted Lisia, the other idol. Quickly realizing he wasn't coming back, she chased after him with surprising speed for someone in high heels. Sapphire looked after them, then joined the chase with a howl.  
A busty brunette, who I recognized as Blue Aoikeno, the Ultimate Con-Artist, whistled.  
“That was fast,” she quipped.  
As the door swung shut, the gym fell silent. Even the thunderous footsteps outside eventually faded as Ruby dashed into another hallway.  
In the absence of sound, Monokuma’s words came back to me.  
“Only those who kill can escape.”  
It echoed through my head on a seemingly endless repeat.  
We couldn’t escape. Someone would kill. It could be anyone. It could be me.  
“Are we going to stand around staring at each other like this or actually do something?” someone asked. All eyes turned towards the mystery man.  
I recognized that face. Piercing green eyes, spiky brown hair, a magnificent cape that would have looked really stupid if anyone else was wearing it… this was Green Oak, Ultimate Coach. I knew him from before the internet forum. Partially because he was famous, but mostly because he was pretty.  
His sharp words snapped me out of my funk.  
“Y-yeah!!” I was the Ultimate Motivational Speaker, I should be putting my talent to use. “There’s no use standing around waiting for something to happen. If we want to escape, we need to take action! If we work together and believe in our own strength, we’ll get out of this place for sure.”  
Green glanced at me with what looked like contempt. “That was… nauseating, but Red is right. We should investigate, see what we can find, then meet back here to report our findings.”  
“Alright!!” I couldn’t help but pump my fist. Everyone was looked more hopeful by the moment. “Let’s form groups! Can everyone go stand by their partners please?”  
Almost instantly, everyone congregated in their own little cliques. Green was immediately approached by Yellow, the blonde boy with the straw hat I had seen earlier. Diamond found himself in a group with Pearl and Platina, while Crystal gravitated towards Emerald. I learned from the internet that he had skipped a few grades, so maybe it was in Crystal’s nature to pair up with the youngest person here. Ruby, Sapphire, and Lisia were predictably nowhere to be found, and Gold weaseled his way into a group with Blue and the redhead, who both looked very displeased.  
Everyone was pairing up nicely, so that meant the only person left was…  
Oh wait.  
I looked around, trying not to let my blunder show. Everyone else had already paired up, and there were no stragglers. No one except… him. Standing in the center of the room, looking around like a lost sheep, was someone I didn’t recognize at all.  
He had minty green hair with matching wide eyes like a kicked puppy and a sweater that was way too big for him. He raised a hand as Crystal and Emerald walked past, then doubled over and began to cough and wheeze into his arm. This was my destined partner? Fine. So be it, universe.  
“Hello there, nice to meet you!! I’m Red Kataoka, Ultimate Motivational Speaker,” I announced in my best projection voice. I knew all eyes were on me; it seemed everyone was just now noticing this mysterious, shy student. Apparently, he noticed the staring too. He withered under the heat of his classmates’ gaze, giving an introduction that couldn’t have been more than a whisper.  
“W- W- Wally Himikio, Ultimate…” he coughed. “Lucky St- .. student.”  
The strength of his stutter wounded me somewhere deep in my soul. Such a lack of confidence! A dearth of fortitude!! A famine of public speaking skills!!!  
He was the perfect client. I could already feel the flame sparking deep in my chest. I vowed at that moment to shape Wally Himikio into the most self assured and confident student that Hope’s Peak had ever seen.  
“Wonderful! Wonderful!!” I gave Wally’s hand a firm shake and tugged him along. Then I turned my voice to the crowd. Sometimes, in times and spaces like these, it was nice to hear it echo off the walls.  
“Now!! Can everyone please announce where they will be investigating?”  
“The… kitchen,” Diamond said quickly (well, quickly for him).  
“The gym and surrounding area, sir!” came Crystal’s reply.  
“We’ll be checking out the dorm hallways,” Gold called, turning to Blue with a playful smirk, “especially the beds, yeah?” The redhead elbowed him in the ribs, but he only laughed.  
“Everyone took our spots,” Yellow whispered to Green, a slight pout evident on her lips. Puffing her cheeks out, she thought for a moment. “We’ll…. um. I think we’ll take the trash room.” Green nodded, so I turned to Wally.   
“And that leaves us with the classrooms we woke up in.” He nodded blankly. “So that settles it! Everyone meet back here when you’re done!”  
Before I had finished speaking, Blue and the redhead were already gone, Gold trotting at their heels. The rest of the groups followed soon after, chatting.  
This was going better than expected.  
I smiled down at Wally, kind of surprised at how small he was.  
“Ready?”  
“S- Sure.”  
“Come on Wally! Say it with confidence!”  
“Sure?!”  
Wally looked even smaller than before, except this time his nervous gaze was directed at me. He wasn’t enjoying this at all. Even still, something in my smile seemed to encourage him (as I knew it would!). I changed my approach slightly.  
“Wally, you can project more if you stand with your shoulders back, like this.” He followed my demonstration, puffing out his chest a little bit. “One more time!”  
“Sure!” he announced, then immediately flinched as though he were startled by the sound of his own voice.  
“There you go!!” I was beaming, I couldn’t help it. Seeing a student improve like that!! It was like candy. Or sunsets. Or hugging puppies.  
…  
We had some classrooms to investigate.  
“Let’s uh… actually go now,” I said. I hope I didn’t look as flustered as I felt.   
Wally nodded mutely, and we both walked down the hall.  
“I haveta ask, what kinda talent is Ultimate Lucky Student? I did a little research to find all the other students, but I’ve never heard of you before.”  
Wally stared at the floor.   
“It’s not a talent. I don’t have a talent. I was just some regular kid who won the lottery to get into this place.”  
Ouch. Touchy subject, I guess. Poor Wally had no faith in himself.  
“Oh come on,” I said. “Maybe you kinda draw luck to you! It may not be as concrete as the rest of our talents but that doesn’t mean it’s unimportant. Besides, there’s plenty of other stuff you like to do, right?”  
“Um…”  
“Assertive!”  
“R- right. I like to read, especially academic papers. And I like to pet dogs and plant flowers. Diamond said he wants to plant some herbs, so I was thinking we could start a little gardening and ask Sapphire for help.”  
“Ah…” I remembered my foree into gardening. “I managed to kill a cactus once.”  
“Poor thing,” I heard Wally mutter under his breath.   
“Hey! I may be bad with plants, but I have a dog and he is doing wonderful under my care, thank you very much!”  
“N- no I’m so sorry I didn’t mean it like that! But… you have a dog? I love dogs.” Wally said, his face, his face a mix of embarrassment and amazement.   
“Yes! His name is Poli, and when we get out of here you’re gonna meet him.”  
Wally smiled to himself.   
“Oh, here’s the first classroom. We should go in.” He nudged hesitantly on the door as if expecting Monokuma to pop out. “But about your dog…”  
We explored for a few more hours, finding only metal plates, empty desks, and plenty about each other. Wally told me about his loving— if a bit overbearing— parents, and I told him about my mom. I found out he was scared of zombie movies, liked coloring books, and wouldn’t wear bright colors, so I told him that I loved the rain, had never traveled out of the country, and marathoned every Barbie movie ever produced on a dare. Wally was like my mellow counterpart, and it was kinda cool to see how alike we actually were. He opened up like a flower as the day went on, and when he promised me he’d try and make more friends to build confidence I knew he was something I could trust. But it’s not like I could hang out with him all day; there was a whole lot of nothing to report back to everyone else.   
Soon we were back in the gym. Everyone else filtered in, group by group, until only Ruby was missing.   
“So… anything interesting??” I asked. It felt good to be a leader, even in stakes as high as these. Pearl, of course, was the first to respond.   
“The kitchen is always stocked full of ingredients like Monokuma says, so I doubt we’re ever gonna run out of food, and there’s even a pantry full of all these packaged foods in case we need to go on rations, and apparently Monokuma restocks the fridge every other night and that’s when the kitchen is locked; I only know this becaus—“ Diamond put a hand on Pearl’s shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze, causing Pearl’s stream-of-consciousness to trail off. Next to me, Wally sighed softly in relief. Platina continued where he left off.  
“What Pearl means to say is that the kitchen is fully stocked by Monokuma every other night.”  
“How do you know?” Emerald asked, skeptical.   
“He told us.”  
“He told you?!” Gold exclaimed.   
“I was getting to that,” Pearl muttered indigently, scuffing the floor with his shoe.  
“He did,” Platina continued, shooting Pearl a warning glare. “When dear Diamond opened the fridge, Monokuma appeared from seemingly nowhere. That bear truly does frighten me. He explained to me that the kitchen is locked every other night, when Monokuma himself restocks it.”  
“Also….” Diamond interrupted. “The kitchen has plenty, professional, ingredients and equipment. I, tested the food. It is safe. There are, many, umm… what is the word?” Biting his lip, he stared off into space, then made a stabbing motion in the air.  
“Knives!?” Crystal blurted.   
“I suppose, yes,” Diamond answered. “That is what I meant.”  
“If you don’t want a murder to take place, you should be careful with those,” Green said nonchalantly. Yellow inched closer to him as though trying to burrow herself inside his cape.  
“Yellow and I found nothing noteworthy. That is all.”  
I wanted to yell at him, but it would cause a scene. Besides, it didn’t matter. We would find a way to escape, so there was no need for a trash room. The redhead spoke next.  
“Apparently, each student has their own personal dorm, and they’re separated into two hallways. Our dorm keys and electronic handbook slash ID or whatever the hell they’re called are on the desks. All the dorms are soundproof, lock from the inside and outside, and have no windows.. Oh, and Gold is an ass and I never want to be within 10 meters of him. That’s all from us.” The gym lapsed into an uncomfortable silence as Gold stomped away from them, pouting.  
“Crystal and I found something interesting,” Emerald said.   
“Emerald is correct! I think you’ll find our discovery rather exciting.”  
Holy cow, Crystal sounded like a mom. Emerald looked a little embarrassed as he began to explain.   
“So I figured out that the area behind the podium is actually paneling. Looks like Monokuma appeared from beneath the stage, so all of his spares must be kept under the floors.”  
Crystal picked up from there. “However, the paneling has no handles on this side, and the only way one could remove them would be to smash it to pieces. Destruction of school property is vandalism, not to mention against the rules, so unfortunately we were not able to discover much else about these panels.”  
That got the crowd talking.  
“Who gives a shit about the school rules, that freaky bear kidnapped us and is trying to force us to murder each other!” Gold snapped.  
“That freaky bear also has security cameras and who knows what else set up. Gold, if we don’t follow the rules here, we could die! Has that not occurred to you yet?!” Crystal barked back. She actually had a point. Maybe being such a stickler for the rules was the best idea in this situation.   
Gold huffed.   
“We should probably figure out how to open that panel at some point though. It might clue us in to who the mastermind behind the bear is.”  
Everyone seemed resigned to a nod, so Lisia spoke up in the silence.   
“Sapphire and I tried to convince Ruby to join us, but it seems he’s having a bit of trouble adjusting to this uh… new environment. But it’s ok! He’ll come out soon, I can tell!” she chirped.   
“He thinks we’re gonna murder ‘im or somethin’,” Sapphire said, scratching the back of her head. “I kicked at his door, but he still wouldn’t come out.”  
“I can’t imagine why,” Green muttered.   
“Anything else interesting? I’m starting to get hungry,” Emerald pouted. Wally and I exchanged a glance, then shook our heads.   
“What exactly should we do about dinner?” Yellow asked, seemingly to herself. Diamond’s expression brightened.   
“I can handle that!” he exclaimed.   
“For… all of us?” Yellow asked. “I’m not complaining, but that seems like a lot of work.”  
“Oooh!! Platina and I can surely help, right Platina?” Pearl asked, nudging Platinum in the arm.   
“Call me Platinum. But… that does sound pleasant,” she said with a smile. The trio walked off towards the kitchen, leaving the rest of us standing around.   
“We should wait here until they finish; it’s best to stay in large groups,” Crystal announced before falling into a chair. She was right, and I at least knew it would be rude to force Diamond to come looking for me when he finished. I wanted to be there to greet him when he came out with the food, since I wasn’t really helping or anything.   
The rest of the day passed without incident. Diamond’s title proved to be rightfully earned; his food made my taste buds feel like doing backflips. So for the rest of the night we sat around in the cafeteria, eating snacks and talking about our talents and the results of our exploration. Someone got Emerald started talking about dirt and rocks and something about geology or whatever, and at Crystal’s encouragement he ran his mouth to anyone who would listen-- and by that I mean Crystal and Wally-- until the clock struck ten and a certain bear felt the need to remind us where we all were.   
“AHEM!” came the voice over the loudspeakers. “This is a school announcement: it is officially 10 PM. As such, it is now nighttime, and the cafeteria doors will be locked shortly. Ok then… sweet dreams everyone! Don’t let the bedbugs bite.”  
As the loudspeaker fizzled and died away, we all looked at each other in silence. I could tell what everyone was thinking: how easy would it be to murder someone in their sleep? Crystal obviously felt the same.   
“New rule,” she announced. “Everyone needs to keep their doors locked at night and no one should let anyone else in. Unless it’s an emergency, don’t leave your room at all. That way everyone… should be safe.”  
It was the ‘should’ that made everyone a little anxious. I watched as a few of them shifted in their chairs, trying to judge if there was murder in anyone’s eyes. As though, somehow, they’d be able to see the evil in someone’s heart displayed plainly in the colors. Green broke the silence.   
“Goodnight,” he said, pushing out his chair and walking away without another word. Yellow followed dutifully behind, the brim of his hat bouncing with every step. One by one, they all peeled away. Crystal, Emerald, Diamond, Blue… Red watched as they all strode out of the cafeteria, fear and anxiety in all its forms enveloping them all. Eventually, everyone was gone, everyone but me and Wally.   
We looked at each other and I gave him the friendliest, most comforting smile I could. Wally let out a breath it seemed he had been holding for a while. I stood up, put a hand on his shoulder, and told Wally one last thing before I went back to my dorm room.  
“You’re going to be ok.”  
\---  
I woke up in the worst way possible. Monokuma’s visage flashed on the screen above my bed, taunting me with a message about a bright and beautiful morning as though he hadn’t scared me awake. When I opened the door, it looked the same as when I went to sleep. Rows of dorm rooms stretched in either direction with small pixelated nameplates and miniature portraits hanging from the doors and staring ahead at the empty space. Even they looked shifty, as though they were following you with their eyes as you walked down the hallway. I took a few cautious steps down the hallway, trying not to wake anyone, but soon the other doors began to open and students came out with the same hesitation. I walked down to the kitchen, wishing everyone a good morning and trying to keep the spring in my step the best I could. It was admittedly kind of difficult, since I had a tendency to get hungry at night and would have killed for a midnight snack. Perhaps that wasn’t something to joke about.   
In the kitchen I found Wally fretting over the sink, helping Diamond with dishes from the night before. They were chatting softly, and the sound of their voices seemed to radiate a feeling of comfort. From the way Wally was smiling, it was obvious he was making friends.   
“What’s up little buddy?” I asked, clapping a hand on Wally’s shoulder. The boy in question started, staring at me with wide eyes and a worried expression.   
“G- good morning,” he stuttered. I closed my eyes and smiled.   
“Confidence~,” I sang. Wally stood up straighter and said good morning with more power, looking at me for approval. “Better.”  
Wally deflated in relief. “Red, would you like to… eat breakfast with me? We can make something here,” he asked. I would never admit it, but I was secretly thrilled he had a companion in all of this.   
“Totally, let’s jus-”  
“No, no, it is alright. I’ll make you something, I am almost done,” Diamond said, popping up from behind a cabinet to shoo us off. He waved the two of us off to the cafeteria, staring intently as he stirred a bubbling pot as though he could find our escape in the steam. I shrugged at Wally, then walked with him down to the cafeteria. It was a mostly silent affair, but the whole time, something was nagging me. As I caught sight of the entrance doors-- boarded up with massive screws and metal plates like a bank vault-- I couldn’t help but blurt it out.   
“I don’t mean to be morbid this early in the morning, but… theoretically, if we were to find… a body or something, I promise that I’ll keep you safe.”  
“I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that!” squeaked a voice from behind us. Heart crashing against my ribcage, I wheeled around. It was Monokuma, wringing his paws and grinning at us like a schoolgirl caught eavesdropping on her crush.   
“The rules say that a maximum of two people can be killed, but only 3 people need to see the first body for the trial to begin! If you’re just itching to know more don’t worry, I have a morning lecture planned for you all after breakfast!”  
Wally seemed to be drawing father and father into his shell with Monokuma’s every word. I couldn’t help but move myself in front of him; it was like watching a bunch of teenagers kick a puppy. I tried to see if Wally was ok, but only caught sight of his hands fumbling with an inhaler. Monokuma seemed focused only on me.   
“You can’t protect him forever,” he purred just loud enough for me to hear. I frowned, but Monokuma didn’t drop his smile or break eye contact. When I blinked, he disappeared, seemingly vanishing into thin air. The floor were he was standing almost seemed to flicker for a moment in his absence, so I turned to Wally and tried not to think about it. He was taking a puff of his inhaler, his eyes watery and focused intently on the wall in front of him.   
“Are you ok?” I asked. He nodded, standing up straight and tucking the inhaler into his backpack. I wasn’t so sure, but Wally was looking flustered and I figured it was best not to push it. We saw a few others at the door and inside, all milling around and wondering what to do.   
“I saw you talking with Monokuma. What was that about?” Green asked us as they walked in.  
“He said he had an a- announcement for us at some point this morning. I think he’s going to wait until after we all eat,” Wally replied.  
“How considerate,” Green drawled. He looked down at Yellow, who seemed lost in thought as he stared at me. “Did you catch that, Yellow?”  
“Yeah…” he mumbled, still staring at me. “Sorry for staring, I just… you look so familiar for some reason.” After a few moments, he broke away and smiled at me softly. “I… I think it’s nothing. Sorry.”  
I told him it was not a problem and found a seat with Wally at the far end of the table. More and more people filtered inside, slowing taking up the seats. Green sat with his back to Yellow, watching him out of the corner of his eye as he mindlessly scribbled in a sketchbook. Blue and Silver sat together as well, whispering to each other while Emerald tried to eavesdrop and Crystal tried to lecture him about it. Then came a shout of ‘we got him!’ from outside and Gold burst into the cafeteria looking absolutely elated. Lisia followed quickly behind, looking (somehow) both concerned and relieved. Sapphire brought up the rear, something hoisted proudly over her shoulder. She looked like Artemis returning from the hunt, her prize still wailing and screeching like a banshee.   
“You barbarian!!” Ruby shouted, punching Sapphire’s back with balled fists in a futile attempt to free himself.   
“Stop punchin’ me ya pansy!” Sapphire roared, flipping Ruby over her back and launching him onto the table. He looked like a cornered animal, all disheveled hair and crazy eyes and bared teeth. I almost wanted to leap in front of Sapphire-- Ruby looked as though he would bite her head off at any moment.   
“Ya can go back to yer room after breakfast!” Sapphire snapped, crossing her arms. Though her size and strength terrified me, I found it hard to believe she would ever murder someone considering she spent the better part of her morning wrestling an ungrateful brat out of his room so he wouldn’t starve. Gold and Lisia too looked thrilled at having him here, both easing him off the table and into a chair, where he promptly pouted and scooted away from everyone else.   
Ruby seemed so paranoid it was almost hard to watch. He glared at all of us, so afraid one of us would snap that he didn’t dare blink. Before the silence could stretch out too much, the doors blew open again-- and with it, the last three students. Pearl came in first, balancing trays of breakfast foods on both his arms and his head, while Diamond followed at a more relaxed pace, sliding smaller plates and bowls of food down the tables as everyone pushed themselves closer. Platinum trailed them both, holding a singular kettle of tea and placing it at the head of the table before sitting down there herself.   
“Breakfast is ready. I hope it is… uh, I hope you like it,” Diamond explained, grabbing himself a bowl of congee and sitting back to watch as the other students began to devour his food. They loaded up their plates with the international delicacies Diamond had made: when did he have the time to make this? I reached for a bowl of rice and some cooked eggs, stirring them together with some natto and some delicious-smelling brown sauce. Wally, like Dia, simply took a bowl of congee and some tea and began chatting, while Sapphire decided to forego utensils and shoved as much food into her mouth as she could manage before sitting back and gnawing on it like a chipmunk. Green drank tea, Gold ate everything, Silver and Blue ate pastries, and Crystal instructed them all on the benefits of healthy eating while Emerald swallowed an entire danish in one bite. It was exactly as I would have imagined. Even Ruby was able to set aside his overwhelming paranoia to have some breakfast and scoff as Gold cracked a raw egg into Sapphire’s open mouth.   
It was then that Monokuma appeared, popping up from who-knows-where to spring onto the head of table right in front of Platinum. She shrieked, splashing hot tea at him (most of which hit Green, causing him to jump in pain and knock a plate onto Ruby’s lap, who in turn shrieked and hit Sapphire, causing her to spit egg all over Blue and Silver). Monokuma watched the chaos with his signature grin, letting out a soft ufufu when the yelling finally subsided.   
“And here I was worried you all loved each other too much to kill each other!” he purred. “All I have to do is show up and you cute little puppies are tripping over each other and ruining all your precious friendships!”  
“As if!” I shouted. “If you really think we’d kill each other over something so trivial you’re out of your mind! We may not be close but our friendship is already eno-”  
“Shut up,” Green snapped. “Don’t give him any ideas.”  
Monokuma raised an eyebrow at him, then continued. “I don’t think you need to… I should explain the rules, though!”  
“The rules?” Crystal asked hesitantly.   
“That’s what I said. The rules. I just wanted to let you all know that your handy-dandy electronic student notebooks are actually student handbooks! If you have any questions about what is allowed or if you want information on the latest murder case, it’s all right there! Now isn’t that convenient?”  
No one moved or spoke.   
“Any questions? No? Fantastic! Good-bye my wonderful students, and remember: you can’t spell slaughter without laughter!”  
Monokuma disappeared again in a flash, giving Ruby the opportunity to spring from his seat and sprint back to the safety of his room. Lisia let out a panicked yelp and chased after him, Sapphire and Gold on their heels. Yellow and Wally were already on the floor, picking up shattered plates, while Blue and Silver left without a word, trying to pick egg out of their hair.   
“That was unpleasant,” Platinum said simply, standing very still as Diamond and Pearl gathered up the plates and kicked the porcelain shards out of Platinum’s way. Diamond hummed sadly in response, looking at his beautiful, utterly obliterated breakfast and carting the leftovers back into the kitchen.   
“Diamond,” Pearl called after him, “don’t feel too bad, everyone loved it. It’s not your fault that Monokuma is a two-toned piece of-” Pearl’s voice disappeared down the hallway. Hearing them, Platinum stepped over the dustpan and followed them, grabbing a pile of garbage to get rid of on her way out the door. That left just me, Green, Yellow, and Wally to finish sweeping the last stubborn shards out from under the table. Green gathered the last of his garbage.   
“Don’t follow me,” he instructed them as he left with a huff and Yellow at his heels like a sleepy puppy. He didn’t scold the smaller boy as they walked into the kitchen. Ah, young love…  
“What do you want to do now?” Wally asked as they left. There were students milling everywhere, each with a mission and each too scared to make themselves a target.   
“Well, how about we go talk to….   
\-----FREE TIME EVENTS (see A/N)------  
I left Wally in the dorms and walked towards the kitchen with a skip in my step; it was good to know that there were more students here who were as worried and insecure about the whole situation as I was. They weren’t killers, they were kids. We were kids.   
As I walked, I heard a familiar set of voices from down the hallway. I approached to confirm my suspicions, only to find that the trio had wound down to two: Lisia and Sapphire were still at Ruby’s door, banging on the wood and unable to leave him alone for even an hour. A muffled string of curses came from within as I approached the girls.   
“Maybe,” I offered, “he’ll come out if you give him some time to relax by himself. Or if you say please.”  
Sapphire and Lisia started, not realizing I had been standing behind them. Sapphire sighed and rubbed the back of her neck.   
“Maybe yer’ right.” She turned to the door. “HEY STUPID!! PLEASE COME OUT OR I’LL KICK YER’ DOOR DOWN!”  
You know what? Nevermind. This wasn’t worth it. I wished the girls best of luck as Ruby whined and cried from within, only to run into Diamond and Pearl as soon as I turned the corner. The two of them were speaking to each other in hushed tones, freezing and turning to me with wide eyes as soon as they saw me.   
“What are you guys talking about?” I asked. As expected, they both paled and looked at each other, as if judging whether or not I was trustworthy.   
“We were just, uh… discussing… things,” Pearl stammered. “Things like escaping, and being friends, and other… non-suspicious… activities.”   
I couldn’t help but stare at Pearl incredulously. There were bad liars, and then there was this.   
“You know what?” he said. “This is none of your business. You’ll know what I mean… soon enough.”  
Oh. That wasn’t suspicious at all, no sir. Diamond looked exasperated and more than a little nervous.   
“I…” he looked between us, “have knives to sharpen. Bye bye.” He walked off to the kitchen, shaking his head and whispering to Pearl, who followed him.   
“Can I join you?” I asked.   
“No,” they both said quickly. I watched them go, silently adding them to my list of would-be killers. Though, to be fair, they would be caught fairly quickly, especially if that was the best they could do with lying.   
At around 5PM, my stomach began to growl like some kind of wild animal. I lay on my bed, staring up at the ceiling and wondering how in the hell I would ever convince people like this to work together to try and get out of here. Suddenly, the sound of thunderous, panicked footsteps approached and someone began to knock on the door like it was the end of the world. I sat up, trying to shake myself out of a daydream while the knocks got louder and more frantic.   
“Red? RED?! RED!!” a voice called. I threw open the door, expecting news of a death or escape or spontaneous combustion, but it was only Pearl.   
“Come to the cafeteria as soon as you can.”  
“Wh--”  
“Don’t ask questions. Oh, and don’t touch anyone any time soon.”  
Without letting me ask what in the world he was talking about or giving any other details, Pearl ran to the next dorm and started the routine again. It seemed he was telling everyone the same thing, so at least I could cross ‘poorly attempted murder’ off the list of options. And unless Pearl was more sadistic (and dumb) than I thought, I doubted the ‘surprise’ would be a freshly dead body, unless he and Diamond had their own kind of death wish. So I walked down to the cafeteria, where a large crowd had gathered around the entrance. Platinum stood in front of the door, glaring at anyone who dared approach.   
“Do not enter until everyone is here,” she commanded. Though she was in no position to stop any of us, everyone seemed content to chat-- or in Silver’s case stare down everyone and cross his arms-- until everyone had arrived. Bar, of course, Ruby. Pearl jogged to the door and pushed the crowd aside, giving Platinum a thumbs up.   
“Ruby isn’t here,” she stated. Pearl rubbed the back of his head.  
“I tried to convince him to come here but he had some… uh… choice words for me that I don’t want to repeat in front of Crystal.”  
“Excellent choice,” she called from within the crowd.   
“Anyway!” Pearl clapped his hands together. “You can let them in, Plat.” The heiress nodded and turned to the doors. Pearl let his voice rise among the murmurs of the crowd, speaking as though engaging a full stadium of thrilled onlookers instead of bored and confused high schoolers.   
“I present to you, students of Hope’s Peak Academy… Dinner!” Platinum swung the doors open to reveal a glittering paradise. The cafeteria tables had been draped in tablecloths and lined with dishes of varying sizes, holding enough cuisine to feed the army. Several armies, probably. It was a beautiful thing. I could hear the sizzling, smell the aromas, see the dazzling colors and shiny dishes and… good god. It was absolutely magnificent. And Diamond was standing beside it with a warm smile and an apron coated in flour and the sweat of his labor. I was staring into the eyes of an angel.   
We flew to the table like dogs in a sausage factory: an unstoppable force of primal gluttony. Diamond smiled at us as we seized our spoils, piling our plates with all the lovingly prepared foods we could stomach. Our own personal mountains grew and fell like mighty empires, spoons and forks creating as much as they destroyed. And then, purely by accident, I did the unthinkable. On my way to get a fourth spoonful of curry, I crossed paths with Sapphire. Our hands outstretched in the same direction, the collar of my jacket brushed the spot where her shoulder met her neck. She wheeled around, causing the both of us to drop our plates, and seized me by the arm like a feral animal. I could only yelp in surprise as my feet left the ground and the cafeteria spun in a wide circle as Sapphire flipped me over her shoulder and threw me onto the ground with a vengeance. A stab of pain shot through my entire back as I heard Pearl in the distance mutter ‘called it’ and Sapphire begin a furious and lengthy apology. Apparently she had a sensitive spot there and learned self-defense a little too well. Good to know.  
Diamond and Wally were quickly beside me helping me to my feet while Crystal began to scold Sapphire for unnecessary violence and Emerald gave her a thumbs-up and the most enthusiastic grin I’d ever seen. He quickly began talking to Crystal, distracting her from both Sapphire and Gold, who was sneaking behind the wild girl to try and scare her again in the hopes that he too would get flipped across the room. I quickly sat up and made my way out of the metaphorical splash zone, where Pearl sat beside the conversing Diamond and Platinum watching everyone thoughtfully.   
“I guess it’s true, you can’t trust anyone with black hair,” he joked.   
“I… wha?”  
“Oh, it’s just a Sinnohian saying. It’s funny because in ancient Sinnoh, everyone had black hair.”  
“But you’re blond.”  
“I mean... yeah.”  
I decided to let the conversation drop off, especially considering that Pearl was quickly pulled back into Diamond and Platinum’s conversation. I saw Wally approaching the door and realized that getting thrown halfway across the gym made me lose my appetite, so I slipped out after him and gave a shout to wait up.  
Wally met me with an uneasy smile. He held an inhaler in his hand, occasionally taking puffs of it as we walked in silence down the hallway and the sounds of the raucous dinner faded like a distant memory.   
We finally got to the dorms. Wally was shaking like a leaf even now, his knuckles white as he held the inhaler in a death grip.   
“Do you need to go to the infirmary?” I asked. Wally shook his head.   
“It’s not that… i- it’s just… I’m scared. I’m scared for myself, for everyone… what if we don’t make it out of here? W- What if I die here?” My eyes softened as I wrapped my hands around his.   
“You’re not going to die here. You saw that dinner, right? Everyone here wants what’s best for each other. We were all happy; we were laughing and chatting and yeah, some of us got flipped over tables but it was all in good fun! We’re gonna get out of here, and we’re gonna do it together. Ok?”  
Wally sniffled, looking up at me with watery eyes like a lost lamb. I pulled him into a hug in spite of myself, letting him melt into my chest and steady his breathing.   
“It’s gonna be ok. I won’t let anyone hurt you, got that?”  
“Y- yeah. Ok.” I released Wally from the hug, giving him my biggest, most hopeful smile as he turned into his room. It looked like he believed my speech. I almost did too.   
“Good night! See you tomorrow.”  
“Aha, yeah, see you tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have predictions for who you think the victim and/or murderer are for this chapter, comment below! Next chapter will have the victim and investigation, so get pumped


End file.
